The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-03-17
THE SIXTH CORPS.
A Maine Soldier in California Speaks for 1t.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In answer to
Capt. John w. Fits of the l14th n. Y. will
say that it may be question as TO whether the
Nineteenth Corps was or was not panic-stricken
al Cedar Creek in 1864, but il is very evident
that the members OF that organization are now
very much excited over an article written for
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE BIZ Capt. Lockhart,
OF the 61st Pa. Capt. Fits leads with a Ion K
article, and several others follow with con-
denscd attacks upon Capt. Lockhart. What is
the trouble2 Simply this: the Pennsylvania
Captain states that
Tie surprise of the morning was overwhelming,
the Eighth and Nineteenth Corps were shattered
and fed tothc rear the Sixth Corps alone remained.
ID WAS finally forced back more than "A mile when
il was halted and assumed the offensive with wha,
brilliant results tie country knows. The
Sixth Corps IN this battle losing 200 men. and with
the assistance OF the cavalry achieved the destruc-
ton Of Early's army.
Now. lct us take up the objections made by
Capt Fits 90 the above extract, which is that
any one should have the hardihood 10 say that
the Nineteenth Corps 1cd in confusion TO the
rear Now, Captain, the Nineteenth certainly
did not Zee 10 the front, and according TO your
own statement prisoners were actually being
taken in your rear, aud il is safe TO surmse that
you were somewhat confused" in getting "a
the rear and well down the pike toward Win
chester before the Sixth Corps moved from its
camp by the left lank 10 occupy the entire front
OF the Union lines, which il did, with the cav
airy support, when our brigade reached the
turnpike road.
The next objection is "The Sixth CORPS
alone remained That statement of fact need
not % bring the color TO your check for it is a
fact that when we first reached the pike there
was not so much as Corporals guard Of the
Nineteenth in sight. Men of the Third Bri-
gadc, Second Division, Sixth Corps will not b1
obliged TO refer to a book published by Charles
L. Pond price Il, - TO learn who was at the front
at this particular time. What the officers OF
the Nineteenth Corps were doing in the way o!
rallying their men and hurrying back TO the
front aud how Gen. Sheridan, with his char.
acteristic and energetic language, was ordering
them into park as he rode his famous ride, and
his reply 10 the officer who informed him that
his army was annihilated, we are willing "a
take from books, for we were not there, and foI
once will quote book rs 10 Sheridan's answer.
which was, % 1t is lie; the Sixth Corps is al
the front and eau alone whip HI out Of the
whole of Early's army" We will admit that
the Nineteenth got back to the front later in
the day and occupied its former camp about
sunset, but Eary's army was a demoralized
wreck fully three hours before.
As 10 the terrific fighting of the Nineteenth
| in their own camps early in the morning there
is no doubt, but it is equally certain, and fact
that no such complete rout, utter confusion and
total decentralization of so large a body of men
OF the Union army occurred during the whole
war as on that occasion, and Capt. Fitts's prob.
| lem as 10 whether the Sixth Corps would have
done better or worse if the positions had been
changed has nothing TO do with the facts a,
they did actually occur. Now will quote
! Capt. Fits:
When sheridan came up. swinging his can ant
putting new life into the beaten army, includin.
/ the Sixth Corps several thousand demoralizct
men swarmod on the road.
Here we seriously object to any insinuatior
| that the Sixth Corps, or any portion of it, wa
beaten or demoralized at any time during tn,
day. Our position was several times changed
L 10 the rear on account OF the enemy, with sumo
rior numbers, overlapping our TANKS; but I
/ position was never abandoned until a new lin,
had been selected, markers placed, and the ad
vantages Of the new position determined upor
| by Gen. Wright and his staff. Ii was in these
| various encounters that we lost the . 200 men
| including the brave Gen. Bidwell, of our bri
gade. The losses from the Nineteenth Corp
were incurred during the grand slaughter o
the morning within their camp.
As 10 the statement that the Sixth Corps fur
nishcd no small share OF the stragglers at In,
rear on that day, il is simply made from who'll,
| cloth. Many Of our wounded were there to b,
sure, but no stragglers from the Sixth. Why,
| Because We were not at any time during iii,
and persistent fighting was our trade learned
| on the Peninsula from Yorktown TO Richmond
White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill TO Harrisoni
| Landing (lnOwn as the seven days battle ~
Manassas TO Antictam, fredericksburg, Chan
tilly aud Gettysburg 10 Brandy Station, tn,
Wilderness, Spottsylyania, Cold Harbor, Peters
| burg, aud back 10 Washington for the VALLEY
| campaign. These were lessons that the Nine
teenth Corps had not studied, and because ",
claim 10 have been farther advanced in Ia,
science and discipline of hard warfare it is moi
detracting in the least from the persona
bravery of your men, or the possibilities which
"might have been" reached had circumstance,
been changed.
So now boys, please don't overwhelm Capt
| Lockhart with any more complaints or Ions
Trades Of abuse, for he was a soldier of battles
and naturally takes pride in the achievements O
the Sixth Corps, and particularly the Third Bri
gade Of the Second Division, in which Brigad,
your humble servant served for nearly foul
years.-AUGUsTus MERRILL, Captain aud Bre
vet Major. LIST Me- 22O S. Spring street, Loi
Angeles, Cal.